


A Beautiful Mess

by Rhysanoodle



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Steamy, roommate au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:55:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21741808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhysanoodle/pseuds/Rhysanoodle
Summary: My piece for Day 2 of ACOTAR AU Week over on Tumblr: Roommate AU
Relationships: Elain Archeron/Azriel
Comments: 1
Kudos: 69
Collections: ACOTAR AU Week, ACOTAR AU Week Day 2





	A Beautiful Mess

Elain wouldn’t have normally shacked up with a guy she didn’t know, but she was desperate. She’d had to come to terms with that when sleeping on Feyre and Rhys’s couch had just become … too uncomfortable. They were nice enough, but not only was she imposing on their hospitality, but having to listen to them night and night again through the paper-thin walls as she was trying to fall asleep was no easy feat.

It had only been a week since she had walked in on Graysen cheating and left their apartment, but it had felt like a lifetime. It didn’t help that none of Elain’s personal ads looking for a roommate had been answered.

So when Rhys had casually brought up the fact that one of his best friends had a spare room in his apartment which he was willing to part with, Elain had jumped on the opportunity.

Now, as she hauled her suitcase up the stairs to her new home, she couldn’t help the lump forming in her throat. Perhaps she should have taken her sister up on the offer to help move the few remaining boxes of her possessions into the apartment, but Elain had wanted to do something for herself for once.

After the second knock on unit 208, a broad-shouldered man with golden brown skin and inky hair answered and ushered her into the apartment. “You must be Elain. You look so much like Feyre. I’m Azriel.”

“Right. Yes.” Elain had momentarily forgotten how to speak in the shadow of this Greek God standing before her. _Stupid Elain_. Men were nothing but trouble, and she did _not_ need any more of that right now, thank you very much. “Thanks for the room. Sorry that it was such short notice, but it was hard to find something else.”

“No problem. I could see how staying with Rhys and Feyre could have its downsides.”

Elain blushed. “Is it that obvious?”

“I admire you for lasting the week. When I moved here, I only made it a day before I rushed into this lease, even though I didn’t need quite this much space.” He stepped aside, giving her an uninterrupted view into the massive kitchen and living space—clearly meant to be used by a couple with means or perhaps even a budding family.

“No kidding. Well, lucky for me that you did, I guess.”

“Make yourself at home. You’re welcome to whatever’s in the cupboards. There are takeout menus in the drawer if you need them. I’ll be around if you need me, but I figure I should give you space to settle in.”

She nodded, and Azriel headed back into his bedroom. Finally— _finally_ —Elain had enough privacy to go into her room and cry her eyes out over the disaster her life had become.

* * *

Days flowed into weeks, flowed in months as Elain got used to her life here, living with Azriel. He was becoming a fast friend, the quiet sort who always left her with her own thoughts when she needed the space but was always there for her whenever she wanted to talk.

It was in these moments where they got to know each other. She’d learned a bit about his tragic past, though he still skirted around the details of his abuse. At least the mystery about his scars had finally been cleared up. 

She’d opened up to him about her cheating asshole of an ex-fiance. She’d learned that he loved mystery novels, and they’d both shared in a joy of binge watching anime. It had become their mealtime tradition to sit together and catch up on shows, even if they were otherwise swamped with work.

If Elain had been in a better place, she might have even admitted that she was beginning to crumble around Azriel. Those walls she’d put into place after her breakup were slowing being demolished with every moment she spent with him.

She had to constantly remind herself that he was off limits, especially if she wanted to continue living here. Mixing relationships and living situations was tricky business, if her last predicament was any indication. So she’d hold all of her thoughts and feelings to herself to keep both of their hearts safe—as if Azriel could want anything to do with her in that way anyways.

* * *

The bang of the bathroom door flying open had terrified Azriel, instantly on high alert for an intruder, but upon peering out from behind the shower curtain, he found only Elain standing there practically squirming.

Sure, the lock was broken on the door right now—and they couldn’t get someone out over the weekend without paying an exorbitant fee—but this is why they had set up _rules_ for bathroom usage so they wouldn’t accidentally walk in on each other. But honestly, with the shower water running, the echo always carried loudly through their apartment’s creaky pipes, there was no way she didn’t know that he was in here, know what he was doing.

“El, I’m kinda busy in here,” he prodded, hoping it was enough to get her to leave. She was usually so considerate.

“I couldn’t hold it anymooooore,” she whined, her words slurring together in that way which Azriel recognized meant that she’d been hitting the wine a little too hard. It must’ve been a rough day at the bakery, and tomorrow was her day off.

“Alright,” he conceded. “Go pee. I won’t look.”

“Promise?” He took in her rosy cheeks and stammering demeanor as she made her way further into the room before disappearing back into his own bubble.

“Yes, I promise.”

It was hard for him to concentrate on which step was next as he realized how close he was to Elain Archeron, himself fully naked and vulnerable.

Azriel had been falling for Elain since the day they met, wishing he could take away the agony she was going through thanks to the toolbag who hadn’t respected her enough to remain faithful. It sickened him.

And it was all made worse because he knew he could never act on his feelings for her. She had entered his life in such a vulnerable state, and he knew that he could never betray her trust by making a move on her. They _lived_ together, and if he broke that bubble between him, he feared what she would do if she felt like she needed to run away and move out to get away from him.

No, he would just need to keep to himself. Perhaps imposing a few boundaries between them would help, but he wasn’t sure he could ever give up the smell of her burrowing into his core as she snuggled against him on the couch whenever she got sleepy while they were watching shows or movies together.

He raised one scarred hand to his face, fingers instantly working to soothe the headache which had begun to form in his temples. The sound of the bathroom door snicking shut would be a huge relief. At least then he could be alone, and his thoughts would likely die down. But the flush of the toilet came and went with no indication that she’d vacated the premises.

Azriel was about to very tentatively ask what was going on when a very naked Elain flung the shower curtain wide and stumbled into his arms.

“Wha-what are you doing?” Azriel sputtered, as his mind raced, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“You know we waste a lot of water showering separately?” Elain slurred. “We might as well just save water and shower together.”

Only in Azriel’s wildest dreams, but … “You’re drunk.”

“And I want to shower with you. What’s the big deal?” She had already poured shampoo into her hands and was failing miserably to keep her eyes off of Azriel’s junk—giving him a sense of purely male pride which he desperately tried to shake.

He sighed, relenting and just deciding to finish as quickly as possible so he could steer her back to her room, praying she didn’t remember this in the morning.

Elain still took her sweet time though, moving with a typical drunken sluggishness as she lathered herself. It took all of Azriel’s willpower to avert his gaze as much as possible, to ignore the brushes of her porcelain skin against his own anytime they swapped for the hot water.

When he finally shut the water off, he rushed to grab their towels, slinging his around his hips hurriedly as he handed Elain her own.

He took his leave of her, allowing her some privacy as he went to throw on a pair of pajama pants. After a few minutes, he still hadn’t heard the telltale creaks of her footsteps across the hardwood yet and was about to check on her when she waltzed into her room, towel and all and plopped into his bed.

Azriel lifted her gently, intent on taking her back to her room to put her in bed, but she groaned out, “No, I want to sleep here.”

“El, you’re drunk and practically naked.”

“I know.”

“And this is my room.”

“Right.” He settled her back onto the bed, digging through his drawers for a clean t-shirt and a pair of boxers. 

“At least put these on if you’re going to stay the night.”

“You’ll let me?”

And perhaps because she was so inebriated it lowered Azriel’s own inhibitions because he admitted, “Whenever you like.”

* * *

Elain woke groggily the next morning, her head throbbing as she reached for her phone on her nightstand, but her hand struck something warm and breathing. She cracked her eyes open enough to see Azriel’s peaceful sleeping form, and last night came rushing back to her.

Breaking into the bathroom. Stripping down and jumping in the shower with him. Insisting she got to sleep in his bed. Oh and his, “ _Whenever you like._ ”

_That_ was something she could never forget, even though her ego would be smarting at how brashly stupid she’d been in order to coax it out of him.

She was sure they’d need to speak about it soon, considering everything that had passed between them, but for now she could be content with trying to drift back off and curling up into his warmth.


End file.
